Friends of Fort Jesus

Soon after I moved to Mombasa, I became a member of Friends of Fort Jesus. No, it's not a religious group. It's a group of people who a long time ago got together to try to work to conserve an old Portuguese fort called Fort Jesus. 

My reason for joining the group was for the birding adventures. Once a month a few members get together for a birding walk. I have really enjoyed the company of my fellow birders, and have joined some of their other excursions. I have even given a talk at Fort Jesus about my time in Turkey! 

On one such trip, we drove up the coast to Malindi. In Malindi, we visited the pillar of Vasco de Gama. The history of this monument is interesting; the original pillar was erected in 1498 as a celebration of the warm welcome he received from the Sheik of Malindi. However, the placement of the pillar bothered some of the local population, as it was a cross placed near a mosque. The pillar was later re-erected to stand on the edge of the sea. 

Malindi is also the home of Saint Francis Xavier Chapel, which has been standing for over 500 years. 

On our way to Malindi, we stopped at Kilifi Creek to visit the ruins of Mnarani. The Swahili city dates from the 15th century. What a peaceful place to walk around and imagine life 600 years ago. Tombs and remains of the mosque and medrassa are visible. We walked a little way into the forest to visit some beautiful old baobab trees, one of which is a living shrine to this day. And to make the visit even more interesting, we were able to read information in both English and Swahili about the history of the ruins. Guess who provided the funding for these wonderful signs? The Friends of Fort Jesus!